Photo Album
by millennium rod
Summary: One year after Ryou's death, Bakura looks at some old pictures that bring back good and bad memories... tendershipping.
1. Meeting

And already I start a new series. I really have been wanting to write this, though, so I hope it's good. Oh, and I've been lying to you this whole time- I AM KAZUKI TAKAHASHI, AND I OWN YU-GI-OH. Haha, not really, but it would be fun. XD

A whole year. It's passed in the blink of an eye, yet it's been so long.

Why did it even have to happen? Him and me had a whole life together to look forward to, and then it was just ripped away.

_Ryou._ He went out one night and never came back. Some bastard, with the pull of a trigger, ended his life forever. I clenched my teeth, thinking about it. That had been the longest night of my life.

But the fact was, it was a year ago today. I found myself wandering over to the shelf where I kept all the pictures of us and pulled down a large book. It was dusty because I hadn't been able to bring myself to look at it. And when I opened it up, I realized why I had avoided it all this time. Seeing that smile again brought back a wave of emotions. No. I had to do it; I had to get over it. This was a day that I just had to remember him.

I skimmed through several pages. Ones of us alone, together, with friends… Damn, I forgot just how many times we had our pictures taken. I smiled a little. It was all Ryou's fault- he always wanted to have _something_ to remember some random event by. That was one thing that, at the time, annoyed me, but I guess it really ended up helping me.

With each passing photo, a new memory came to me. Like the time when we first met. Or when we had gone to that amusement park. The day when we had our first kiss. Every little thing, happy and sad, right up to the very end. I flipped back to the start. Now that I had seen even a little bit, I wanted to go through more thoroughly. Really remember every moment.

I started with the one of us right after our paths had initially crossed…

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_I was around 12 years old at the time, which would have made him about 10. I was just hanging around in the park after school, where most of us went. Although where everyone else was playing with some other kids, I just sat alone in a corner. I didn't really mind it, though. If anything, I was glad that they left me alone. I had always been a freak in their eyes- my hair color, my rough personality, everything about me just gave me that label, whether I liked it or not._

_ But when I was standing up to go home, I saw a kid being held against a wall. I heard faint voices coming from their general direction, and he was obviously trying to get away. Normally this kind of thing didn't really concern me, but… there was something about him, that, when I took a closer look, just reminded me of myself. He, too, had long white hair, pale skin, and dark eyes, but it looked much less rough and more childlike on him. He was a little bit shorter, too. I decided to head over._

_ The tall kid holding him by the collar smirked. "Isn't that cute? Little freak's trying to get away. " He kneed the smaller boy in the stomach, causing him to cry out and collapse, coughing up blood. I clenched my fist and snuck up behind the bully, grabbing his arm and spinning him towards me. He looked surprised for a moment, but then his face twisted back into a mean grin. "Hey, look, this guy's trying to help you! Be grateful, shrimp!" I let out a low growl before I smacked him so hard in the nose, I heard a sickening crack. I had probably broken it. He fell back, blood staining the hands that were clutching his nose._

_ "You'll stay away from him if you know what's good for you," I growled. "And if you don't, you WILL see me again. Clear?" He nodded in fear, before rising to his feet and stumbling away. I then turned my attention to the victim, who was staring up at me like I was his idol._

_ "Th-thank you!" he stuttered. I shrugged._

_ "No problem. But hey, you can't let 'em get to you like that."_

_ He lowered his head. "You're right. This has been going on for a while, so I guess I'm just used to it." Then he looked up at me. "Oh, I'm Ryou. What's your name?"_

_ I stared at him for a moment, then answered. "Bakura. I don't think I've seen you around before."_

_ He grinned. "Well, I hope that we can be friends!" I just kept staring. What was this kid's problem? Nobody wanted to talk to me, let alone be my friend. Even when they did, they were either bullying me or using me. But something seemed… different about him. He gave off a sort of trusting vibe. So I nodded. He smiled widely, and I gave him my hand._

_ "Here. Let's go." We left the park and walked around town for a while. Turned out neither of us had parents to go back to. After a while, we stumbled upon one of those photo booths. He stopped._

_ "You know, I've always wanted to try one of these," he whispered excitedly. I sighed and reluctantly pulled out my wallet._

_ "We can do one, if you want." He smiled hopefully, and we went inside. The first few we took were sort of boring, but after a while we were making weird faces, doing the most random things. That was when I heard him laugh for the first time (although we were both cracking up at that point.) _

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I stared at that picture for longer than I'd like to admit. It was one of the funny ones; Ryou had his eyes crossed and his tongue out, while I just had a scary grin on my face. I smiled to myself. Things sure had changed a lot since then, hadn't they?

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Seira-g: I managed to make a long chapter! Yay!

Ryou: … So you killed me again, huh… *Goes to the emo corner*

Seira-g: Yeah, sorry about that.

Ryou: *mutters under breath*

Seira-g: Oh, just tell them to review.

Ryou: Review.

Seira-g: Good!


	2. Skiing

I decided to update for you. By the way, thanks to all of my reviewers!

I still wasn't sure why I had decided to do this- after all, I don't think I had ever looked through these pictures before. Back when Ryou was alive, I just didn't think about it; I already saw him every day. And after he had died, I felt better when I didn't see him or think about him. That was just how I dealt with things. So I didn't even remember some of the pictures. But the next one was very familiar to me. It was from back when we were in high school.

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_Ryou and I had decided to go skiing over Christmas break, even though neither of us had ever done it before. But while I had quickly figured out the basics, Ryou was still falling every two seconds. I would just glide down the hill and laugh at him._

_ Eventually, we ended up meeting at the bottom. I smirked. "Wow, Ryou, you really suck at this, huh?"_

_ He started to pout. "Hey, that's mean! I'm not THAT bad!" I just laughed harder. He was trying to be intimidating, but he really just looked like a puppy. I ruffled his already messy hair._

_ "Okay, if you're so great, then go on that." I pointed toward the most challenging slope, not too far from the bunny hills we had been stuck on. _

_ "Fine!" He stormed off, turning his head to stick his tongue out at me as he walked. About halfway there, he tripped and fell flat on his face, so I had to stifle a laugh. But he kept going until he was at the top. He was up high enough that, from where I was standing, he just looked like a speck._

_ He actually did a halfway decent job until he got to the bottom, where it got really steep .He slipped the rest of the way down. As soon as he hit the ground, he let out a painful scream. I ran towards him. Oh god, it was my fault, I shouldn't have told him to do this, damn it… _

_ When I got over to him he was still sitting there, trying not to cry. I gasped. His leg looked broken. "Bakura…" he whispered._

_ "Hang on, Ryou, I'll go get one of those first aid guys." I started running away, but he grabbed my ankle and pulled me back._

_ "No… don't leave me here alone…" he begged. I sighed. He had a point; who knew how long it would take me? I caught him by surprise when I picked him up and started walking toward the cabin. I looked down at him. He was blushing a bit._

_ When we got back, I laid him down on the couch. "Just stay here and warm up- it's better than sitting in the snow. I'll come back as soon as I can, okay?" He nodded, and I ran back outside in the cold._

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_ Several hours later, Ryou was still on the couch, and I was sitting next to him. His leg was in a cast now._

_ "I'm sorry," he whispered. "You were looking forward to this trip for so long, and I had to ruin it by getting hurt." I smiled softly. This was just like him; to be more worried about how I felt than what shape he was in. _

_ "It's fine, Ryou. Really. Don't worry about it." He grinned back up at me._

_ "Oh, good. I thought you were mad at me, 'Kura." I put a hand on his shoulder._

_ "No way, Ryou. I could never be mad at you. Besides, we've got all the time in the world, right? We can come again."_

_ "Right. All the time in the world."_

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We never did actually get around to going back there. It was too bad, really. Ryou may not have been that good of a skier, but he thought that the mountains were the most beautiful place in the world.

"All the time in the world, huh?" I whispered to myself. "What a load of shit."

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Seira-g: Another chapter done! To be honest, out of all the things I have planned for this fic, this was one of the chapters I was looking forward to the most.

Ryou: Why? Becoause you got to hurt me again?

Seira-g: Oh, come on! That was total fluff!*huggles Ryou* besides, you know I hate hurting you…

Ryou: Suuure…

Seira-g: If you're quiet, I'll give you a cream puff…

Ryou: MINE! *grabs it from author's hand* Yummy. ^.^

Seira-g: Um, anyway… When you review, it makes me feel like people actually like this, which inspires me to write more. It's a win for all of us, which will lead to, um… Saving The Environment! Plus, I'll give you a cream puff from Ryou's stash!

Ryou: *glares evily*

Seira-g: O-or a cookie! Please don't hurt me, Ryou.

Ryou: *cheerfully* Why would I do that?


	3. Birthday

Update time! Yay!

I wonder if that was the first time that I realized just how much I liked Ryou. I mean, we had been friends since the first time we met, but after that was probably when I started to see him in a new light.

In fact, if there was one thing that I was glad that I had been able to do before he died, it was that I could tell him how I really felt about him.

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_I had never really liked birthdays. If you thought about it, all it really meant was that you were brought another ear closer to ding. Although that could really be said for any day of the year, something about it just made them all the more depressing. But Ryou had always had the opposite opinion. He thought, "hey, you've made it another year. Time to celebrate!" I suppose it ended up being a good thing he felt that way, although I never would have admitted that at the time. I just thought it was annoying._

_ So every year, when it came time for my birthday, I would have to specifically tell Ryou not to do _anything_ for my birthdays. But of course, he never listened to me and always threw me some kind of party. I knew that he was just trying to be nice- before I met him, I never got anything like that. But it still annoyed the hell out of me._

_ That year was no exception. I came home that afternoon after my part-time job, praying that Ryou had forgotten what today was. But that had obviously been too much to ask for, because as soon as I walked through the front door, there were several camera flashes, and Ryou, Marik, and everyone else yelled "surprise!"_

_ "Damn it, Ryou!" I said irritably. "What did I tell you about doing things like this?"_

_ He looked hurt. "But, Bakura… I just wanted to…"_

_ "Well, don't! How many years have we known each other now!" Tears filled his big brown eyes."Oh, god, Ryou, I didn't mean-"_

_ He put a hand in the air. "That's fine, Bakura. I'm sorry. I knew you wouldn't like it." He turned to everybody. "Everyone, sorry. Bakura here really doesn't want us here, so you can all leave." There were several grumbles from the crowd ("Eh, I didn't really want to come in the first place," Yami grumbled before Yugi shot him a pissed off look.)_

_ "Alright, fine!" I heard myself say. "If you really want to stay, go ahead." _

_ "Only if you want that, Bakura," Ryou said with a shocked tone to his voice._

_ "I don't, but…" I turned to Ryou. "You went to all this trouble, so I guess I can deal with it. But seriously, if you ever do that again, you will regret it." Ryou grinned._

_ "Okay!"_

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_ The party turned really crazy, really quickly. Mariku decided it would be fun to get the pharaoh drunk, which led to some awkward situations, such as "strip duel monsters," awkward, drunken confessions of love, and Yugi somehow ending up in a pink dress (where the hell did he even get that from?)._

_ After several hours of this, everyone finally left. I sank back into my spot on the couch and sighed, putting my hand on my forehead. Ryou sat down next to me, looking apologetic._

_ "I'm sorry, Bakura," he whispered. "I had no idea it would end up like that. I promise that next year, I won't do it again." I smirked, then started to laugh._

_ "Ryou, that was probably one of the greatest things that could have happened." He looked up at me._

_ "…Really?"_

_ "Yeah! I mean, how often do we get to see the stupid pharaoh get wasted? And Yugi in that pink dress? Seriously, Ryou, don't worry about it. I had a great time." He smiled, then gave a sigh of relief._

_ "Oh, good. I was worried that you were going to be really mad at me."_

_ I'm still not sure what brought me to do what I did next. I pulled him just a bit closer to me, put a hand on his cheek, and kissed him for the first time in our lives. He did nothing to pull away, instead choosing to return it softly. But when we finally did pull away, Ryou looked stunned, a slight blush on his face. "I could never be mad at you, Ryou," I whispered. "I'm not sure why, but ever since I first met you that day, I couldn't help but think that there was something… special about you." _

_ The slight pink coloring on his cheeks turned to a bright red. "B-bakura" he stammered. "That's…" He looked down. "I love you, Bakura," he whispered. "I… I want you to stay with me." I kissed his cheek._

_ "I will. I'll never leave you, Ryou."_

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And I never did. I kept that promise. _But you left me, didn't you Ryou? You couldn't keep your promise._ I felt something wet run from my face onto the page. Damn it, I was so weak, I was crying again. I knew I couldn't handle this. "I was right, Ryou," I whispered. "Birthdays just bring you closer to death. You're proof of that."

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Seira-g: Another chapter is done! Yay!

Yugi:… A pink dress? Seriously?

Ryou: *back in the emo corner for some reason* Hey, at least you aren't dead…

Seira-g: Okay, seriously Ryou. Get over it. Or I will continue to give away your cream puffs to our kind reviewers.

Ryou: *Nears dangerously* … What do you mean, _continue?_

Seira-g: Well, we got some really nice reviews for the last chapter, so…

Ryou: *grins and pulls out a gun* You asked for it, Seira-g…

Seira-g: No! I can't die! Not before I finish writing the story!

Ryou: Then you reviewers better not review…

Seira-g: Reverse psychology? Ryou, you're a genius!

Ryou: *Shoots*


	4. Seeing Each Other Again

Part four!

I quickly shut the book after that. I really didn't want to see any more. No, now it was all coming back to me. The horrible memories of that day…

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_It was about a month after my birthday. Ryou and I had decided to go out to dinner that night, but since the restaurant was so close, we just walked there. When we were on our way home, we saw some suspicious-looking guys who were holding a gun up to a woman's chin. It looked like they were laughing._

_ Without a word, Ryou started running towards them, but I grabbed him by the wrist._

_ "Ryou, I know it's a bad thing, but… if you go over there, they'll hurt you too." But Ryou shook his head._

_ "No, you don't understand, this is how…" he swallowed. "I lost my mom and my sister to people like them. I can't just stand by and watch." And without another word, he worked his way out of my grasp and started running. I didn't get a chance to stop him, so I chased after him._

_ Ryou ran all the way up to the men. "Let her go," he growled. They smirked._

_ "Ah, look a' this kid! He thinks 'e can save ya!" Even from where I was standing a few feet away from him, the man reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. Ryou pushed the woman out of the way._

_ "You can kill her, or you can kill me!" he shouted._

_ "No! Ryou-"_

_ The next bit happened in slow motion. There was a bang, then an anguished scream as he fell to the ground. The men ran away, not wanting to be caught at the scene. I ran towards him, who now had a small hole in the middle of his stomach._

_ "Ryou!" I screamed as the world suddenly returned to its normal speed. He turned his head weakly to look up at me .The woman pulled out a phone to call the hospital right before she ran away, too._

_ "Ba… ku… ra," he muttered._

_ "No, Ryou, don't try to talk, save your strength, the ambulance will be here soon, just hang in there…" I begged, a sob emitting my throat. His blood was covering my hands._

_ "Bakura, I… I love you," he whispered, his voice getting quieter with every word. "I'm sorry…"_

_ "No! Damn it, Ryou, you promised me!" I screamed. "You promised that you wouldn't leave me, right? Aren't you going to keep that promise!"_

_ He smiled weakly. "I… won't…I'll still always be there for you…" And with that, his eyes closed, and his body fell limp in my arms. There was nothing that I could do; the only person I had ever loved, damn it, ever WOULD love, was gone. _

_ "Ryou? RYOU!" I cried, knowing that it wouldn't help at thing. "Damn it, Ryou, you're just pretending; it's all just a joke, come on, open your eyes!" But after that, I couldn't say any more. I sat there in the middle of that alleyway, holding his bloody body, and sobbed._

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I clenched my teeth. "You really did break your promise, Ryou," I muttered through my tears. "After everything I did for you, you couldn't keep your only promise…" Even though I knew it wasn't his fault, I was still blaming him. What kind of selfish bastard was I?

I wasn't going to look at any more pictures. No, I couldn't do it. Instead, I decided to move on to the next part of my day.

I was going to visit his grave.

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On my way there, I stopped at the store to get some flowers- I could never remember the actual name of them, but I was able to pick out his favorite flower by sight.

The cemetery was really quiet. There were a few assorted people there, but they were too far away from me for me to hear what, if anything, they were saying. It had a haunted feel to it. But that kind of stuff never bothered me, so I continued on until I got to the spot I needed.

As I approached from the distance, I noticed that there was another figure in front of the stone. As I got closer, I realized it was a woman. A woman who I had never met, yet looked… strangely familiar. I sat down next to her, and neither of us said a word. It was around ten minutes of silence before it finally hit me.

"You're… the woman he saved, aren't you?" Without looking at me, she nodded.

"But how did you know where to come?"

"Call it… woman's intuition," she said before finally turning to look at me.

"And you were his friend, right?" I nodded, even though there was more to it than that. She held out her hand. "I'm Anne. It's nice to meet you." I nodded and returned the handshake. She looked at her watch.

"Oh shit, I have to get going. I'll see you around, maybe." I nodded, and she left without another word. I turned back to look at the grave.

"A whole year, huh, Ryou?" I whispered. "How have I even managed to make it that far? But wow… I didn't expect to see her here, did you?" I laughed a little.

I spent the rest of the day there. Right up until the sunset had come and gone. It was one last sunset that we could see together. That was one other thing about Ryou. Every single night, he put everything aside so that he could watch. I laughed at him for it at the time, but now I finally understood. It really was a beautiful thing. I stood up and brushed myself off. I took one last look down.

"I was wrong, Ryou. You never really did leave me, did you?"

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Seira-g: That's it! The end of the story! I have to say, I had a lot of fun writing this story. Ryou, if you have anything to complain about, I don't care. I don't want to hear it.

Ryou: All I wanted to say was that I'm glad I at least died heroically.

Seira-g: That's the spirit!

Bakura: Personally, I was happy with how it ended. *steals Ryou's last cream puff*

Seira-g: NOES! That was supposed to go to a reviewer!

Ryou: THAT'S what you're worried about! *growls and shoots Kura with the gun he somehow got last chapter*

Seira-g: Now's not the time!

Bakura: Review… it's the only thing I want from you people… *dies*

Seira-g: Aww, how sweet! Um, anyway, this is getting crazy… see you next time!


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